Less than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic case, the supply of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through approaches including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
